Can The Utah Jazz Make The NBA Playoffs?
How does one know when a team is poised to make the next step? Is it because of coaching, the youth of the team, potential or even having a great home court advantage?
These are actually the ingredients to success.The Utah Jazz are going to have a better team than they did last season and the teams from the Western Conference are in for a surprise.
After having one of the worst records in the NBA at 25-57, one of the concepts I’ve learned in life is that trouble don’t last always. The Jazz next season are going to have one of the best young trios in the NBA, and they all play on the perimeter.
Already established as one of the big shot takers on the Jazz, their fiery leader, point guard Trey Burke is going to turn a lot of heads next season and become one of the best guards in the NBA.
Burke missed a few games early in the season last year and the Jazz went on an eight game losing streak.
After coming back from injury he averaged 12.8 points and 5.7 assists. That’s the good news. Here is the better news. Burke last year shot 38 percent from the field, and 33 percent from the 3-point line.
“How is that good news?” one might ask. Take this to the bank, those shooting numbers are going to drastically improve next year.
In his rookie year, Burke averaged double-digit points and nearly six assists a game playing with a team struggling to find an identity.
This season, the Jazz come back a year more mature and hungrier. Speaking of hungry, one of the players in the midst of a contract year is going to step up. The second leg of the infamous “tripod,” Alec Burks, has immense potential.
Burks slashes in the lane and is really shifty, finding creative ways to finish at the rim.
If he can increase his free throws a game from nearly five per game to around eight per game, he can become a twenty point scorer for the Jazz. Burks oozes with potential because he can create off of the dribble and excels with getting inside of the lane.
Many shooting guards in the Western Conference do not have the ability to make shots from outside, and get into the lane where Burks is one of the rare exceptions that does both.
In addition, I couldn’t forget to mention the best player on the Jazz, Gordon Hayward. Getting ready to begin his fifth year in the NBA, Hayward is getting ready to become one of the best 30 players in the league.
Hayward is one of my sleeper picks for the Most Improved Player next year. If Burke, and Burks are scoring at a bit of a higher clip next season, the lane is going to close allowing Hayward to take a variety of open shots.
Hayward already is one of the most underrated players in the game, and next season he’s taking that step into superstardom.
The Jazz also have a commodity to their team that will help them become great next year. They boast two great big men in Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors.
Kanter last season averaged 12.3 points, and 7.5 rebounds, While Favors averaged 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds. These two bigs have more than enough talent to each average a double-double. If they do become a tandem on the frontline to do this, then they might have one of the best big men combinations in the Western Conference.
Their development is key to the Jazz success because of their ability to not allow second chance points. Also, if they can play active on the defensive side of the basketball, it will create a numerous amount of fast break attempts.
The Jazz also added two rookies to their roster in Duke sharpshooter Rodney Hood, and the lottery pick, Dante Exum. With these two coming of the bench, they might finally have a really deep and talented roster.
It is crazy that in the Western Conference nine teams have legitimate playoff hopes each season. Next year the Jazz are making it 10.
The residents in Utah, play some smooth B.B. King, because the Jazz next season are going to have some sweet music being played.